AFS Withdraws From Copper Alloy Research Project

The American Foundry Society has officially withdrawn from the Advisory Committee of a copper alloy research project due to concerns over the reliability of the research. The project, Alternatives Analysis of Lead-Free Substitutes to Lead-Bearing Brass Components in the Potable Water Supply…

Supreme Court Blocks EPA’s Clean Power Plan for the Electricity Sector

On Tuesday, February 9, the U.S. Supreme Court halted the implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) landmark carbon rule for power plants while it's being challenged in court. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court granted a legal stay to states, business groups and energy…

EEOC Releases New Reporting Requirements on Employee Pay

On Friday, January 29, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) unveiled a new proposed rule which would require companies with more than 100 employees to submit employee W-2 earnings and hours worked.  Private sector employers currently have to file an EEO-1 Report, which…

Deadlines Extended for Affordable Care Act’s 2015 Information Reporting Requirements

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued Notice 2016-4, which extends the deadlines for the 2015 information reporting requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

ACA includes new information reporting requirements under IRC sections 6055 and 6056…

House Passes Bill To Eliminate Burdensome Rules

The House approved an AFS supported measure on Jan. 7 requiring retrospective reviews of federal regulations to eliminate burdensome rules and preventing new regulations from being enacted without repeal of an existing regulation.  The measure, Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are…

AFS Supported Regulatory Reform Bill Approved by House

On January 6, 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act (H.R. 712) by a vote of 244 – 173.  The AFS supported bill would require greater judicial and public scrutiny for “sue-and-settle” deals reached by federal agencies as…

AFS Finalizes CEO Transition Plan

New AFS CEO Doug Kurkul

The American Foundry Society (AFS) is pleased to announce it has hired Doug Kurkul to be its new CEO effective May 1, following a period of transition with current CEO Jerry Call.  In 2015, Call announced he would be retiring on June 30, 2016.

“We…

Omen USA to Place First North American Facility in Indiana

Omen USA, Kibboutz Hatzor, Israel, is planning to place its first North American facility in Richmond, Indiana. According to a press release, up to 100 jobs will be created by 2019.

Omen USA is a subsidiary of Omen Casting Group and at first will invest $16 million to renovate a 76,000-sq…

AFS Joins Legal Challenge to Ozone Regulation

A group of business associations, including the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, recently filed a petition for review to challenge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) rule that significantly lowered the primary ozone National Ambient Air…

Deadline Extended to Feb. 17 for Annual Casting Competition

AFS and Metal Casting Design & Purchasing magazine are seeking entries to the 2016 Casting Competition. The competition is your chance to show the engineering and purchasing community what a metal casting can accomplish.

This year’s Casting of the Year will receive a free year’s…